e©4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 8, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S rAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established isso 
Published weekly by the Knral Publishing Compnny, 338 West 30tk Street, New York 
Hkrbf.rt W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John .1. Diij.on, Treasurer and General Maruqrer. 
Wit F. Dh-lon, Secretary. Mils. F.. T. Roylk. Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. 32.04. equal to 8s. 6d., or 
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order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 73 cents per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by n respon¬ 
sible person. We use every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable houses only. But to make doubly sure, wo will make good any loss 
to paid subscribers sustained hy trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. We are also often called upon 
to adjust differences or mistakes betweon our subscribers and honest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such cases should not be confused With dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but wo will not be 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to us within one month of (he time of 
the transaction, and to identify it. you should mention Tint Kl'lUK New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
.- 
FARMER in Texas undertook to make Ms Con¬ 
gressman see a joke. So lie wrote for some 
free seeds and suggested a package of mac¬ 
aroni seed. The solemn M. C. took tliis farmer 
right at his word and wrote back: 
I have ordered the seed sent yon from the Agricul¬ 
tural Department and wish to congratulate you in your 
efforts to grow this very valuable plant. It is the culti¬ 
vation of macaroni that paid the war debt of Italy and 
has made it one of the wealthiest nations in the world. 
I do not see why the rich soils of Red River County 
would not grow this to the extent of making it, in con¬ 
nection with their long staple cotton, the wealthiest 
agricultural spot on the globe. 
The Italians paid their war debt by eating mac¬ 
aroni rather than by planting the seeds—but what 
is a little thing like that to a Congressman? If he 
can plant a macaroni seed and raise a vote it is cer¬ 
tainly a productive seed. But he cannot fool the 
farmers any more, or buy them with a 10-cent pack¬ 
age of seeds! 
* 
HERE are hundreds of farmers who are feeding 
a well-balanced expensive ration, and are re¬ 
ducing the efficiency of this feed 25 per cent 
I>y swearing in the barn, and pounding home runs 
against the eow’s ribs with the milking stooi. The 
long and the short of such business is that it does 
not pay. When the discriminating farmer goes out 
to buy a cow, or when he retains one in his herd, 
lie considers her intelligence. Bovine phrenologists 
say that a cow wide between the eyes is an intelli¬ 
gent one, and intelligence and nervousness go to¬ 
gether in the dairy cow. The better the cow, the 
more marked the effect on her production will un¬ 
kind treatment become. The farmer who wants to 
get out of the scrub class must treat his cows right. 
The farmer who is kind to the children, is consider¬ 
ate of his wife, and is willing to cooperate with his 
neighbors is the man who will make a success with 
the dairy herd. The man who stones his cows when 
he drives them to and from the barn would better 
keep out of the purebred business, for he will lose 
out. 
* 
HE Geneva Experiment Station has issued 
what seems to us a very sensible bulletin on 
purity of farm seeds. Among other sound ad¬ 
vice in this bulletin is the following in reference to 
samples of seed which are adulterated with weed 
seed or trash. 
If the seed appears to contain considerable amounts 
of such rubbish, the buyer should insist that it be 
cleaned before he takes it, secure a reduction in price 
proportionate to the amount of impurity, or look else¬ 
where for his supply. 
That is sound common sense. If any farmer re¬ 
ceives a sample of seeds loaded up with chaff or 
gravel or weed seeds, he ought not to accept, it at 
all, or if he does take it he should not pay the price 
of pure seed. Yet in “Horticulture” Geo. C. Wat¬ 
son is reported as trying to ridicule this sound ad¬ 
vice. 
In other words, according to the authorities of the 
great State of New York, the cleaner the seed the 
smaller the price! The worst of it is, New York is 
eminently fair compared with some other States-—and 
Washington. The foregoing extract is from Bulletin 
!>78 of the Geneva Station. The same bulletin enlarges 
on the law not being drastic enough—like the fertilizer 
and foodstuff laws. As if seeds could comply with such 
conditions! Seeds are not a manufactured product, and 
attempts to apply such laws to them are unjust and 
ridiculous; and do more harm than good to the farmer 
and all concerned. 
It is hard for us to believe that Mr. Watson ever 
made any such statement. The mixed and “loaded” 
samples of farm seeds which some of our readers 
have received are certainly “manufactured”—as 
much so as fertilizer. There is no reason why seeds 
should not be guaranteed the same as fertilizer. 
Our farmers are entitled to full inspection and pro¬ 
tection. The Geneva Station is doing good work 
in this line and should be supported—not sneered 
at 
C AN wheat bo used at. all for cow food? We have a 
good crop of wheat with the usual low prices in 
prospect, and would like to feed it if possible. 
What could be mixed with it to feed milch cows 
with corn fodder and mixed Timothy and clover hay for 
roughage? c. D. H. 
Ohio. 
Letters are coming from all over the West asking 
about feeding wheat. The “bumper crop” talk has 
had the effect of pushing down prices. The authori¬ 
ties now say that the world’s total supply is not 
large and that much of our surplus wheat will be 
needed in Europe. The “bumper crop” talk, how¬ 
ever, has cut down the price to farmers, and thou¬ 
sands of bushels will be fed to stock. Wheat has 
much the same composition as corn. It does not 
make as good a feed as corn when crushed, as it is 
too sticky or pasty to feed alone. Many an old time 
farm boy will remember how hungry he was when 
he got up to milk and do the chores before break¬ 
fast. We often chewed a handful of whole wheat 
until it made a sticky paste of gluten in the mouth. 
Barley, oats or corn ground in equal parts with the 
wheat relieves this pasty condition and makes a good 
mixture to feed with Alfalfa or clover hay and 
silage. Should there he a war in Europe the price 
of flour and wheat for export will rise, but the 
“bumper crop" talk, as was intended, is getting the 
wheat out of farmers’ hands at a low figure. You 
will find a full discussion of the feeding value of 
wheat in The R. N.-Y. 
* 
W E have now waited for several months for the 
proof that those English Wyandottes at the 
egg-laying contest are hybrid or mixed 
breeds. No proof lias been forthcoming. We have 
given illustration from the possible breeding of sev¬ 
eral breeds of cattle to show what might happen 
as the result of long-continued selection for dairy 
production. Now we have the following: 
Your simile of Jersey cows is not fair. Barron 
started with a pen of Brahma-IIamburg-Leghorn hy¬ 
brids bred to blocky shape, and in 15 years he has pro¬ 
duced splendid layers of a very different shape. They 
are “Barrons,” or “English” of a distinct type and are 
entitled to a name. buchanan burr. 
How do you know what he started with? The 
Wyandotte is a “made” breed produced by mixing 
the blood of several distinct breeds and then select¬ 
ing for a certain type. We presume that is what is 
meant. Now many years ago the Jersey breed was 
“made,” as was the Short-horn or Ayrshire, and 
there are now several distinct types. We can easily 
find purebred Jersey cattle in Northern Canada and 
in Texas, which vary as far from the true Island 
type of Jerseys as those English Wyandottes do from 
the standard. In the far North or the far South 
these Jersey cattle have been adapted and selected 
so as best to meet the needs of climate or dairy prac¬ 
tice, but no one thinks of saying they are not Jersey 
cattle, because such selection has taken them away 
from the Island standard. They are more useful 
animals because they have been changed. In speak¬ 
ing of the origin of the curious Egyptian race the 
historians say: 
“/£ is said that the high!//-developed greyhound 
was useless as a hunting dog till crossed with a 
strain of bulldog—an infusion of blood, which, while 
not marring the distinctive physicar peculiarities of 
the hound, yet quite sufficed to supply the tacking 
stamina and courage .” 
We have heard speakers attempt to make an argu¬ 
ment for special breeds of cattle by saying that men 
do not select a bulldog to hunt rabbits. It seems 
that they may select the spirit of the bulldog after 
all! We have no personal interest in these English 
Wyandottes. We think the American Leghorns will 
beat them out before the contest ends. The fact 
seems to be evident, however, that these English 
birds are very superior layers, since they have been 
bred definitely for the one point of egg production. 
It will be safer to breed this strain by itself rather 
than to attempt crossing it with the Wyandotte as 
usually found in this country, but we think it a 
rather narrow and small proposition to try to be¬ 
little or discredit Barron’s work in developing this 
strain. 
* 
A GRICULTURAL college students as farm work¬ 
men ! It is evident that many of our readers 
have tried these young men as managers or 
farm helpers, and we have received a number of re¬ 
ports. The great majority of them are unfavorable. 
It appears that a good proportion of these young 
men are willing to work and are energetic and hon¬ 
est. Too many of them have a very large 
idea of their own value. They lack experience 
and the ability to adapt themselves to lo¬ 
cal conditions. They have been trained at the 
college to do work in a certain way—usually with 
the aid of expensive and very complete fixtures. 
When they go to a practical farm which, being run 
for business, must cut out experiments or .super¬ 
ficial things, many of these young men lack the 
power to adapt their college training to their new 
surroundings. In too many eases the trouble seems 
to be that the college teachers spoil these boys by 
giving them too large an idea of their own impor¬ 
tance. We have heard of cases where teachers ad¬ 
vised these untried young men never to accept a 
place for less than $75 per month, and never to 
touch any smaller job than that of managers. It 
would be hard to think of any more foolish advice 
than this. Tt will be clearly evident to any business 
farmer that what these boys need most of all is 
practical knowledge of real farm operation. How 
can anyone manage farm labor successfully 
unless he know how to do the work to the best ad¬ 
vantage? It is not enough that the college has 
taught him why it should be done—be must know 
how if he is to make a farm pay—for only by know¬ 
ing how can he learn to adapt his science to local 
conditions. The cool-headed and unprejudiced re¬ 
ports which come to us indicate that the training 
which many of these young men are receiving lias 
given them too large an idea of their importance 
and value to a practical farmer. It would be far 
wiser for them to work as plain hired men for a 
year or so before attempting to “manage” a farm. 
* 
C ALVIN J. HUSON, New York Commisioner of 
Agriculture, has written the officers of the coun¬ 
ty and town fairs advising against exhibits of 
swine. It is evident that last year hog cholera was 
spread through infected animals shown at the fairs. 
I am reluctant to reach the conclusion, but I feel that 
we had better omit the swine exhibit at our fairs this 
year than run the risk of scattering the disease through¬ 
out the State. I therefore respectfully urge upon offi¬ 
cers of agricultural societies the propriety of withdraw¬ 
ing their premium lists for swine, and to refrain from 
having an exhibit of swine at their fairs this year. 
Where fairs are held in communities where no cholera 
has existed within the past year, it might be safe.to 
have an exhibit of swine, provided the entries were 
limited to such territory as is known to be free from 
the disease; hut to permit an exhibit from infected ter¬ 
ritory is exceedingly dangerous, and might spread the 
germs of the disease into territory where the disease has 
not heretofore existed. 
Hog cholera has never been very prevalent in New 
York State and every precaution should be taken to 
prevent its spread. Wherever it appears the disease 
should be stamped out, or it will prove a calamity, 
especially in our thickly settled farm districts. 
* 
O N January 1 of this year a new land law went 
into effect in Egypt; 
The law renders properties of the area of five acres 
and under unattachable for dobt. A land mortgage has 
heretofore been a source of easy credit for the small cul¬ 
tivator. There is no doubt that the funds borrowed hy 
the Egyptian small cultivator on land security have 
for the most part not been spent for economic necessi¬ 
ties, hut rather for maintaining a relatively extrava¬ 
gant standard of living. The purpose of the law is to 
eliminate or sit least to minimize this unproductive ex¬ 
penditure of borrowed funds and gradually to relieve 
the small farmer from his present excessive burden of 
high interest-hearing debt. 
The farming of Egypt is peculiar because nearly 
all the agricultural wealth is represented by these 
small farmers. The entire system of farming would 
be upset if these small holdings should he taken 
from the present farmers and put together into large 
farms. In many eases the first chance to obtain 
easy credit leads farmers without much experience 
to borrow not to invest but to spend. Before they 
learn just what that means their credit is gone and 
their farms follow. This law in Egypt will make 
it harder to borrow for spending purposes. Since 
the creditor cannot take the farm in case of default 
he will be sure the money is to be spent for im¬ 
provements before be lends it. 
BREVITIES. 
We cannot see that the song birds have decreased in 
numbers. 
We know a number of persons afflicted with laziness 
who advocate the “rest cure.” 
limn living at low cost comes to the man with a good 
garden and a roost full of fat hens. 
That was good farming to sow peas and oats. It 
suits farm stock from brood mares down to shotes. 
If you would have the waste of plant food stop 
through the wet Autumn—sow a cover crop. 
Lightning never strikes twice in the same place, be¬ 
cause there usually isn’t any place left . 
The disease known as pine rust lives part of its life 
on the domestic currant. The New York Experiment 
Station finds that the disease does not survive the Win¬ 
ter on the currant. 
There has been quite a little discussion regarding the 
best material for filling the cavities in decayed trees. 
A mixture of one part asphaltum and three to four 
parts of sawdust has given good results in Ohio. 
It is said that American meat packers are reaching 
out as far as Manchuria after poultry. From October 
to March fowls can be purchased in that country at 
from 15 to 20 cents each. Dressing costs one-half cent. 
The plan is to buy such poultry, feed it for about three 
weeks, dress and freeze and then export. 
